Anyone learnt themselves?

KarynAnn · May 13, 2013

Hi , I'm karyn I'm new to all this , been interested in photography for years just never had chance to look into it&see what the best equipment I can get,any suggestions? I don't really want to do courses on photography just want to get a few bits an bots, read up on info&try an get to grips with using the camera , any help would be grateful thank you !

jowensphoto · May 13, 2013

A lot of us here are self taught! I shoot Canon, but honestly it's because a good deal came up when I wanted a camera. Nikon and Sony are also popular brands. It comes down to how much you want to spend (and what you'll be using it for).

KarynAnn · May 13, 2013

Thank you v.much I'm looking around for a camera , not sure where the best place to get one from yet tho, seen a few nice ones. Just going take a few photos outside to start me off my fiancé has dogs and wants photos of them , I thought it might help me to start off is this a good idea?

Judobreaker · May 13, 2013

The best place to get a camera is probably the camera store. ^^

Anyways, as jowens said many of us are self-taught. I myself haven't had a single course in photography or the likes, I learnt everything through practice and the internet (this forum helps loads for example).

There is no single answer when it comes to best equipment. Each and every brand has its own advantages and perks.
The more popular ones are Nikon and Canon. Sony is also a rather popular brand, although I have no knowledge of that brand at all.
I myself shoot Nikon, the main reasons for this being that I liked the menus more and most of the photographers I know in real life shoot Nikon. This has the added advantage that we can easily borrow each others lenses.
I suggest you go to your local camera store and ask if you can hold a few camera's just to feel them. Pick the one that feels nicest, you're going to be holding it a lot.

Assuming you want a DSLR camera you're probably looking at a D3100/D3200 for Nikon, these are very nice beginner models and capable of making really good photos. I'm not sure what the Canon/Sony alternative for these models is... (Someone help me please

).
Of course other models are probably good too. If you're willing to spend more you can go for some more advanced models (I started with a D7000 myself). It's all up to you.

Yes, gong outside and taking photos is generally speaking a rather effective way of learning photography. Practice makes perfect.
Your fiances dogs will probably make a fun subject.
Besides that you're probably going to want to read up on exposure and composition to enlarge your knowledge (which you can then practice with the dogs). There are numerous of articles on the internet on these subjects.

radiorickm · May 13, 2013

Photography is to you what you make it. If you are happy with a point and shoot camera taking snapshots, then so be it. If you decide to study in depth things like composition, lighting and exposures, then the more you learn, the more you realize you have more to learn.

A camera is a tool. Having the right tool for the job makes the work more pleasant. So first. decide what you would like to get out if it.

I know, " I just want good pictures". Well, learn what it "is" that makes them good to you. Is it the colors, the sharpness of the image, they way in which things are arranged, or what else is it that catches your eye.

Then you can work on getting the right "tools" to make great photographs.

KarynAnn · May 13, 2013

Thank you both , you've helped so much , I felt so stupid coming on here as a beginner an knowing nothing , but I've had loads of help&starting to realise if I get the right 'tools' as you just said ^ at least I can start somewhere.

hayley.price · May 13, 2013

I Started off at 12 years old now 19, with a simply compact camera and the love for taking pictures didn't know anything about composition the rule of thirds exposure etc but i knew one thing i loved taking pictures and i loved how my pictures looked, i learnt by reading books articles looking at other peoples photos it was the only thing other the horses i ever put my mind too and i still love it now all be it im a little bit more experienced then but still loads and loads to learn, a photographer friend of mine said even the pros are still learning theres always something new to look forward to finding out so once you know the rules, brake them the results can be great or not but you will never know unless you try.

KarynAnn · May 13, 2013

I'm 19 & only now starting , I can't wait to get out there& take photos , I love taking photos and never put my mind to anything , but I know I'm going to enjoy this as I found this site last night and haven't got off here , you find out so much off here with different discussions , thank you

The_Traveler · May 13, 2013

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...299286-new-feature-photography-tutorials.html

KmH · May 13, 2013

There are online resources and of course a variety of books that one can use to learn how to do photography.

The trick with self learning is to make sure you don't miss pertinent information which is easy to do if you rely strictly on online resources.

But you might find something useful in this TPF thread - http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-forum/267492-info-those-new-photography.html

KarynAnn · May 13, 2013

Thank you very much

you've helped a lot

Danmunro_nz · May 21, 2013

I am self taught, I have been taking photos since childhood. Started with and still shoot film. Brought a DSLR nearly 3 years ago. I have looked into photography course but I don't think I will learn anything I don't already know. Best thing I can suggest is just go take lots of photos, read some photography books and muck around with the settings on your camera. You will soon learn what works and what doesn't. I found composition the most challenging aspect. Working the camera is easy once you learn, but getting great composition takes time unless your a natural at it. Good luck.

Trblmkr · May 22, 2013

I've always loved photography. I started out when I was 14 (now 48), with a camera most people today would freak out with. It had no light meter in it, all manual with bellows on it. You had to actually cock the shutter after each shot, and this was 35mm. So I learned through reading books at the time and looking at how others took pictures. I eventually had to stop because of the expense of the film, and just recently (last Nov) picked up a Nikon DSLR. I got out every weekend and take pictures for myself. My promise was I would have an album of 52 of my most favorite pictures at the end of the year. This forum and it's members is the most interactive and helpful resource I have found. They are active and will be glad to give you feedback (not always in a positive way). So get out there, take some pictures of what YOU like and enjoy.

CaptainNapalm · May 22, 2013

Get yourself an entry level DSLR camera with a kit lens to start. Research the major models by Nikon and Canon and get the best one you can afford. When you get the camera read and study the camera manual and get familiar with all its features. Then start taking some pictures and start reading up on things like exposure, composition, and manual photography. Be patient and take the time to practice and do things right and eventually you'll know where this hobby takes you, if anywhere at all. Whatever you do (as tempting as it may be) don't buy equipment prematurely. Shoot with your camera and the kit lens first and buy gear on an as-needed basis or you might just end up stuck with things you thought you need and hardly use.